CDC: Many Americans May Have Prediabetes and Not Know It

THURSDAY, Nov. 15, 2018 (HealthDay News) -- More than one-third of Americans have prediabetes, but 90 percent of them do not know they have it, medical experts say.

Nov. 14 was World Diabetes Day, and the American Medical Association and U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention launched a campaign to raise awareness about prediabetes and encourage people to find out if they have the condition.

"Prediabetes can often be reversed, and type 2 diabetes prevented, by losing weight, eating healthier, and being more physically active," Ann Albright, Ph.D., R.D., director of the CDC Division of Diabetes Translation, said in an AMA/CDC news release. "Men and women with prediabetes can cut their risk when they participate in a CDC-recognized National Diabetes Prevention Program, scientifically proven programs to help prevent or delay type 2 diabetes."

The "Do I Have Prediabetes" campaign features public service ads showing viewers who might have prediabetes and urges them to take a one-minute online prediabetes risk test. Those who get a high score are directed to speak with their doctor to confirm a diagnosis of prediabetes and then enroll in the CDC program. The campaign website also offers healthy lifestyle tips and a link to a registry of more than 1,700 in-person and online CDC-recognized programs nationwide.